Page:1902 Encyclopædia Britannica - Volume 25 - A-AUS.pdf/694

 640

ARMIES

vast preponderance of the evidence of non-commissioned officers and men was in its favour. There was, however, a strong demand that the soldier should be given not only a free ration of meat and bread, as he had had for many years, but that all his food should be provided for him. The promise of a free ration was said to create the false impression that the men would have nothing to pay for their food, whereas a stoppage was made from their pay to provide groceries. In 1899, therefore, an allowance of 3d. was granted to provide what was absolutely necessary for the whole messing. At the same time the deferred pay ceased for those who accepted the messing allowance. Men serving when the change was made were allowed to choose whether they would prefer the free messing or the deferred pay. Some chose one, some the other. The actual conditions of service in these circumstances are as shown in Table C. Another change has gradually been introduced. The canteens, which were formerly let out to tenants, and became, in fact, regulated public-houses and grocery shops within the barracks, have been placed under the management of a committee of officers, and are worked for the benefit of the men. Where they are well looked after very large profits accumulate. These are employed partly in adding to the comfort of the men’s messes, partly in providing for emergencies, such as when the men are sent out on an early movement and require breakfast before they start, or on the sudden arrival from abroad or from outstations of parties of men or of their families. In various other ways the money is used to provide for contingencies that can hardly be dealt with at the public expense, such as the provision of cricket and football implements. Private benevolence has added greatly to the comfort of the soldier. Soldiers’ “ Homes ” and “ Institutes,” set up by private subscription, give an opportunity for wellconducted entertainments and for quiet reading and writing such as would not be possible in the barrack-room. Some of the best of these are, in fact, excellent clubs, with good hot and cold water baths, billiard-rooms, and halls for concert and other performances. The effect of the short-service system has been necessarily to throw annually upon civil life a very much larger number of men seeking employment than was the case formerly. It was some time before adequate agencies for assisting the men in this respect were brought into existence, but on the whole the machinery is now very complete. Partly through the colonels of brigade districts, partly through the officers of the recruiting department, partly through the organizations which have been established in most well-managed regiments, the men have much help from the army itself in obtaining situations. The “National Society for the Employment of Soldiers” and the “ Soldiers’ Help Society ” have agencies which spread into every district of the country. Moreover, the earlier age at which soldiers now leave the army has this effect, that most of them have parents or other near relatives still alive, many of whom are in regular employment, or are able to assist the men in obtaining situations. The “ Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Families Association,” with an agency in every garrison, is most useful to the married soldier during peace time. During the strain of the South African war it was invaluable. Altogether, the “ conditions of service ” of the wellconducted soldier, though they still leave much to be desired, are beyond all comparison better than those of any army except that of the United States, in which the rates of pay are incomparably higher, although in other respects the physical comfort of the men is not so carefully provided for. In civil life a man has to pay for his own hair being cut and for repairs to his clothing, but he does this

[BRITISH

at his own good pleasure. The orderly appearance of the soldier is a necessity of discipline, and undoubtedly the fact that these minor payments are not matters entirely of his own option gives colour to an idea that when he has to pay for them he has not had the whole of the cash he expected. It is not a question of a broken promise to him, but the system will probably be modified in its working. The test of an army is not peace, but war. Gauged by that standard it is not too much to say that, relatively to the facility with which the British empire is able to provide men for war on a large scale, the °f supply of officers has failed. The ordinary sources of the supply of officers to the army during peace time are, as they have been for many years, Sandhurst College for those of the Cavalry, Guards, and Infantry of the line; Woolwich for the Artillery and Engineers; and, as a further source of supply for all, the Militia. In addition, a certain number of commissions are given in all branches of the service to cadets of the Eoyal Military College at Kingston, Ontario, and to other colonies, while a few are given to men from the ranks. Commissions have during the war in South Africa been given freely through universities, public schools, and other institutions. During peace time, as will be seen when we speak of “ the organization of the higher units for war,” the staffs necessary for these and for the “ lines of communication ” in the field have not been maintained. The loss of officers in war is enormous. The consequence has been that everywhere, whether in the field or at home, the supply of officers has been wholly inadequate, and the battalions and regiments have been left deplorably short. At home, when it was necessary to create new units, the men could be obtained, but officers, especially experienced captains and subalterns, were wanting. A nominal “ reserve of officers ” existed in the sense that officers who had retired on their pensions were liable to be recalled to service; but changes in army training have proceeded with immense rapidity of late years, and when officers, who had left the army for some years, returned to it they found the conditions to which they had been accustomed greatly modified. Captains and majors who returned in those ranks were the contemporaries in age of men who occupied the higher ranks in the army. The disproportion between the officers with the British army in this and in former times may be best shown thus : —In 1815, at Waterloo, Seton’s famous battalion, about 1000 strong, had forty-two subalterns on parade; in the battle its front was never more than about 500 paces. In 1901 a garrison of 5800 men at Woolwich had for some months seventeen captains and subalterns, all told, of whom ten were second lieutenants too young to serve on a courtmartial. At Driefontein (10th March 1900) the Buffs, including regimental staff, had one officer per company. Companies often covered more than 1000 yards. A very large number (2700) of second lieutenants were commissioned during the Boer war. Many of these from the universities, from the Colonies, from various technical colleges, were men of an excellent stamp, but they have for the most part (except those from Kingston) had no previous military training. Some of them were twenty-six years of age. So far as their future prospects are concerned this is a serious matter, because, in order to keep the various ranks of officers young enough to be fit for their work, the rule now is that a Captain (unless he is a brevet-major) must retire at 45 years of age, A major 48 Lieutenant-colonel . . . ,, ,, 55 Colonel57 Major-general . . . . ,, ,,62 Lieutenant-general or General . ,, ,, 67